So WHY can't my life BE DRAMA FREE!??? I was excited that class got cancelled last night (teacher had a personal emergency)… so I pick up Bessie from mom & dad’s and gleefully headed home.. thinking I will relax with a glass of wine and wait for Joe (his flight from Wisconsin was to land around 6pm)…SOOO, I'm home, I change into comfy clothes, pour a glass of wine, and log onto computer. Typing away...enjoying my beverage.. I notice my fingers were cold....really cold.... WOW, this Florida trip must of made me reallysoft... I put a housecoat on and think about gloves… it hasn't dawned on me yet to check the thermostat..
Ok... I check the thermostat… uh oh....60 degrees.. heater fan blowing cold air.. hmm... we use Propane Gas... I check stove.. UH.. OH....NO GAS.. means NO HEAT, NO HOT WATER, and NO STOVE TO COOK….
I KNOW I paid my bill. ..yeah... I'm sure of it... and were on automatic fill.. D-mn, I am going to have to go outside and check the outside gauge. I put the big girl boots on... and slop over mounds of snow and ice in the pitch blackness, in the frozen tundra... to check the outside buried tank... which by the way is up a large hill… it' me and the flashlight...trying to make it through the back yard in almost knee deep snow..
I get to the tank... phew... take cover off ...look around... did I mention its FREAKING DARK AS H-LL OUT THERE and I’m next to the woods where the "CHUPULAPRA" is?… and that I’m ALONE?… I notice there is a hang tag in there stating: 2/3 Delivered fuel, but since tank was empty we had to turn off service because no one was home.
WTF??? WTF??? AND WTF? I mean isn’t the reason you deliver fuel because someone is low in fuel? I am soo screwed because now my peaceful night of relaxing is DONE…
I trek all the way back to the house..., amidst cursing and surprising myself that I didn’t just roll down the ice covered hill into the driveway with my big boots and house coat wrapped around my head… I call the emergency number on the tag.. I speak to a really nice gal who is sympathetic to my plea. It appears that since there was NO FUEL in the tank when they went to fill it they were concerned that perhaps there was a leak… so they shut off my service as a safety measure since no one was home. HMMM....I asked her why no one called to tell me this.. she said they didn’t have a phone number on file...
Seriously? We have been your customer for 5 years and you do not have our phone number… I am exasperated but either case I give her my cell phone. she would call an “OFFHOURS” person .. and that the “OFFHOURS” person would be calling me soon..I thank her… .and have another glass of wine … and wait.. AND WAIT…
An hour or so later… NO ONE HAS CALLED… I recall the E-M-E-R-G-E-N-C-Y number and speak to a guy who was truly unimpressed with his job and did not give a rats a-s that I was cold, hungry, and annoyed.. I very nicely asked the status of my “OFFHOURS” person as I had yet to receive a call. He acted like I was interrupting him, and matter of factly stated, “We have been trying to get ahold of the “OFFHOURS” person, we call every half hour and they have yet to respond.” I thanked him and asked him to continue to reach them.... he ended the call with something to the effect of, “Is there anything else I can help you with and have a nice day”.. ...
SERIOUSLY?? HAVE A NICE DAY? Are you kidding me? I am livid and on my third or was that fourth glass of wine.. Bessie looked warm enough and I was quite warm because my blood pressure was up.. and contrary to popular belief if you are in a plane crash a bottle of liquor is important!.. (dont ask it was on a survival test).
SO I WAIT.. and WAIT SOME MORE.. Joe gets home, I brief him, WELCOME HOME honey.. I’m going to bed… at this point I can hear Joe talking with the E-M-E-R-G-E-N-C-Y number people again… and it doesn’t sound pleasant… I pass out. …and wake to the SHRILL sound of my cell phone ringing at 10:30pm or so and it was the “OFFHOURS” person…It appears “OFFHOURS” Dude will be at our house in the am.
ITS NOW THE AM... the house is 52 degrees INSIDE.. I tried to wash up... I now have frost bite...do you realize how COLD well water is when not heated?...I dont feel the cold anymore.. i have lost all feeling in all my extremities... miserable, an understatement... I have had no breakfast, no coffee, and on the verge of a mental throwdown... Florida has made me SOFT!.. I toss Bessie into the truck and headed to mom and dads leaving Joe to deal with the “OFFHOURS” dude… WELCOME HOME JOE..
End story: so there was NO LEAK (of course not), the guy mentioned (under his breath) that they were behind on deliveries and that is probably the reason we ran out of fuel (NO REALLY)… So everything is FINE (gee thanks)… the service is BACK ON (no really thanks)… and the house is attempting to warm itself up…if anyone mentions snow, ice, or the cold in any format other than BAD.. I will hunt you down... life is good?
